Q&A (& Giveaway): Jess Haines, author of Forsaken By the Others

I’m always thrilled to have the wonderful Jess Haines on the blog! Jess is the author of the H&W Investigations series and the newest book in the series, Forsaken By the Others, will be out July 2nd, and I caught up with her to talk about how the series is going, what a whirlwind this publishing thing has been, and much more!

Also, don’t miss some awesome giveaways (US and INTERNATIONAL) that Jess has going on! I’ve included the widgets below the post to make it nice and easy for you to enter! You can also check out the full tour schedule HERE.

Please welcome Jess back to the blog!

Jess, welcome back to the blog! I can’t believe your 5th H&W Investigations novel will be out in July! What can we expect from Shia and the gang in the next installment? Thanks so much! Crazy, isn’t it? Hard to believe that I’m already on book 5 of this series!

Shiarra has gotten herself into some hot water. For her own safety, Royce is sending her (and her business partner/best friend, Sara) away from New York to stay with another powerful vampire ally.

There’s just one little hitch in their plans of staying safe and under the radar. Clyde Seabreeze, master of Los Angeles, has a zombie problem—and he plans on making the girls solve it for him.

I remember when Hunted by the Others came out in 2010…5 books in 3 years is pretty amazing! How has your life been different since then? There have been a ton of changes for me since the first book came out. I went from working two jobs plus writing books to having one day job plus writing books. I’ve made tons of new friends, have sat on panels with and shaken the hands of authors who I previously looked up to and admired, never thinking I would be considered one of their peers.

It’s an amazing feeling. To be a professional author, to know my books are on the shelves in libraries and bookstores, to see my words translated into other languages—there’s nothing quite like it. Now that I have a taste of it, my next goal for myself is to reach the point of doing this fulltime.

I’ve always meant to ask you…how did you celebrate when you found out that Hunted by the Others had sold? When I first got the news, you could hear my excited squeals echoing across the cube farm. I danced around babbling to anyone who would listen that my dream just came true!

That Saturday night, I went to Outback with a huge group of friends. We had cheese fries with bacon bits and ranch dressing, steak, and a cinnamon oblivion to top it off.

What’s your favorite part of being a writer? There are no boundaries. The only limits are your imagination. You can explore possibilities and worlds that were never meant to be.

Without giving anything away, is there a scene in Forsaken by the Others that was particularly fun to write? The scenes with my fringe-hobo, karaoke-loving vampires was my favorite. That, or maybe the one with the giant, terrifying werewolf warrior weeping on Shiarra’s shoulder…

In your writing, are you a plotter or a pantser? A bit of both. I loosely plot the main story arc and pants most of the details. Wow, that sounds kind of dirty.

What piece of advice would you give to a struggling writer? If you find yourself struggling, you may be working on something you feel obligated to finish rather than what you really want to write. Reconsider what you’re working on (or your approach). Continue to educate yourself, and be open to change.

What’s next for you? I’m currently working on the 6th H&W Investigations book, which is as yet untitled and guaranteed to be full of drama, zombies, and inappropriate pantsfeelings.

About FORSAKEN BY THE OTHERS: The Others—vampires, werewolves, things that go chomp in the night—don’t just live in nightmares anymore. They’ve joined with the mortal world. And for private investigator Shiarra Waynest, that means mayhem. . .

Have a one night stand with a vampire, and you can end up paying for it for eternity. P.I. Shiarra Waynest, an expert on the Others, knows that better than most. Yet here she is, waking up beside charismatic vamp Alec Royce with an aching head. . .and neck. Luckily, Shia has the perfect excuse for getting out of town—namely, a couple of irate East Coast werewolf packs who’d like to turn her into a chew toy.

On Royce’s suggestion, Shia temporarily relocates to Los Angeles. But something is rotten—literally—in the state of California, where local vampires are being attacked by zombies. Who could be powerful enough to control them—and reckless enough to target the immortal? Following the trail will lead Shia to a terrifying truth, and to an ancient enemy with a personal grudge. . .

About JESS HAINES:Jess Haines, author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, is a displaced New Yorker who writes about vampires, werewolves, and other bitey creatures of the night from her home in Southern California. She’s best known for the H&W Investigations series (starting with HUNTED BY THE OTHERS).

Congrats on the new release. This series is fantastic. Can’t wait to read Forsaken by the Others to see what the gang has been up to.
I am a werewolf kind of girl, but I can’t wait to read about the necromancer. Sounds interesting!